NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� It鈥檚 hard to escape the name Astor when you are in New York: from Astor Place downtown to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and even the neighborhood of Astoria, Queens, the family鈥檚 legacy is everywhere.
In 鈥淎stor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune,鈥� CNN journalist and his co-writer Katherine Howe trace the famous family鈥檚 legacy from its beginning, when John Jacob Astor immigrated from Germany and established himself in the beaver fur trade, a bloody and highly competitive business. He invested his fortune in buying up land in the rapidly developing island of Manhattan and became one of the richest men in the U.S.
a chronicle of Cooper's own famous family that came out in 2021. 鈥淎stor鈥� sketches how subsequent generations either built on or frittered away the family鈥檚 initial fortune. It ends with the elder abuse case of Brooke Astor in the 2000s. At times, the narrative drifts away from the Astor family itself, with a chapter on a riot that happened at the Astor Opera House and another on a second person named John Jacob Astor who may or may not have been related to the family. It鈥檚 an effort to paint a fuller picture of the U.S. during the time period, but at times it feels like filler.
Drawing mainly from secondary sources, 鈥淎stor鈥� is a breezy overview of a storied family. Those who want to dig deeper into the family can turn to the extensive bibliography that references the many other books written about the Astors.
Mae Anderson, The Associated Press
